Our Italian Correspondents BYRD, CONTESSA MANSKI and UNCLE EV are taking us on a Hitch hikers guide to Shangai…

An historic event will take place this weekend for Australian Rules football.

Specifically this is the AFL’s Chinese expedition in their hope to capture a slice of China’s lucrative sports market.

Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast Bums will clash this Sunday at “Jiangwan” Sports Stadium in Shanghai.

Sporting media have reported that both teams have already started their preparations, while more than 5,000 fans have descended on Shanghai ahead of the clash between Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast Bums with the stadium’s 10,000 seats already sold out, those lucky enough to witness this consequential if not momentous event.

On Sunday Port Adelaide will reveal their new sponsor, as part of their windfall Chinese-linked sponsorship deals that the club says has been a two-year negotiating process in the making.

AFL executive Travis “Trav” Auld announced that the game would be broadcast live on China’s state media channel CCTV.

This gives the game the potential to be the most watched game in the history of this code.

This is the match that we all seem to be talking about.

Interestingly enough, these senior club coaches were not short of their own opinions about the journey across the sea.

Here are some of their thoughts.

West Coast Eagles

Adam “Go West!” Simpson envious of this missed opportunity grumbling: “Adventure, yeah, I guess that’s what you call when you come back alive.”

Making the sign of the cross, Luke “St. Luke” Beveridge vowed: “He who travels happy must travel light.”

Hawthorn

Alistair “Angry Little Man” Clarkson was defiant: “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.”

Annoyed, Chris “Reviewing The Situation” Fagan instructed: “Stop worrying about the potholes on the road and enjoy the journey.”

Carlton

Brendon “Thor!” Bolton joked to his Blue boys: “What travels around the world but stay in one corner? A stamp.”